Duel Academy
by The Schwarz
Summary: Many years have passed since the events of Yugioh GX. A new line of duelists are making their way through the academy. This is the story of a group of teenagers. But by the time they graduate, their lives will never be the same.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX, and I never will.

Author's Note: This story plot and characters are a collaboration of work from Eliteslayer, Envy's Boy, Changwoo, Rex Raptor, Snow Tiger, and Me. So thanks Eliteslayer for letting me post this. So thanks for your hard work.

**Chapter 1: The first duel which, surprisingly, does not involve the protagonist.**

Duel Academy. The school known for raising students to be the strongest duelists possible. And so far, they were doing a pretty good job. This is the story of a group of carefree teenagers, students at the Duel Academy. Of course, as with all stories, their carefree lives were about to change.

It was the day of the DA entrance exams for new students, and the older ones wanted to watch. All along the arena sat the proctors and older students, with a few would-be first years scattered around. Some of them waited uncomfortably for their turns, others, who had either passed or failed their entrance exams, went to the bleachers to watch.

Shinji Souichiro leaned back against his seat, as the entrance exam for Duel Academia began. Although he was a second year student in Obelisk Blue, he was sitting in the Ra Yellow section, so he could be with his friend, the second-year Ra Yellow student, Katanokuto Kenichi.

Shinji was a tall boy, with long black hair that he kept tied in the back. Although he wore the uniform of an Obelisk Blue student, he had the image of the card "The Creator" sewn on his back. He was, after all, the user of a special summoning deck. Or rather, it was one of his decks. He had multiple decks of different strengths, but his undisputed strongest was the special summoning one. In his previous year, Shinji was a student of Ra Yellow. By the end of the year, he was promoted, and through a spectacular duel, he was a candidate to become an Elite that coming year.

Katanokuto was a bit shorter than Shinji, although that's not saying he was short. He had untamed blond hair which seemed to have a mind of its own, and matched the yellow of his Ra Yellow uniform. On his back he carried a shinai, the bamboo training sword used in kendo. Katanokuto came from a long line of swordsmen, and he was no exception. Not only was he the captain of the academy's kendo club, but his deck was filled with swordsmen and sword-based cards. He was Shinji's best friend, even before they were in Duel Academia, so a petty thing like different dorms didn't stop them from talking.

"So, Shinji," Katanokuto said, looking at the applicants duel, "See anyone of interest?"

"Sorry, are we talking about the new examinees or girls?" Shinji asked, having been distracted by a new examinee girl.

"A little of both," Katanokuto said, having noticed the same examinee.

"Then for both, I'd say so," Shinji said, as from somewhere in the room, there came a holographic explosion, signaling someone's victory.

Katanokuto looked down at his deck, where the Swordsman of Landstar was at the top. Although Shinji couldn't understand, Katanokuto could somehow see the spirit of that card, and would often have conversations with it. In fact, that spirit was sometimes wiser than some of the duelists.

"Is that so?" Katanokuto muttered, understanding what the card was saying, then spoke to Shinji and said, "Hey, Shinji, there's a strong one over near that last arena. He looks weak, playing common weak cards, but he's actually winning."

"Really?" Shinji asked, "How can you tell? It's not like we can see their life points from here, just the monsters."

"Call it a hunch," Smirked Katanokuto.

Just hunches wouldn't cut it. Shinji got up from his seat, having seen enough from the Ra Yellow side of the room.

"I don't see any applicants that can match up to either of us," he said, "a few may be lucky enough to get into Yellow, maybe one into Blue, but I think Osiris Red is about to become a lot more crowded."

"Hmm, I wouldn't be too sure," Smirked Katanokuto, "There's still plenty we haven't seen yet."

As Shinji left the bleachers, he overheard a conversation between two students. One was a boy from Ra Yellow, some kid he had only met occasionally when he was in that dorm, the previous year. The other was Benrakuken "Chika" Chikamatsu, the top duelist among the second years. Although he didn't hear the entire conversation, Shinji did hear the Yellow boy say, "I bet I can take you."

"Let me tell you," Shinji interrupted, "I have nothing against students in Ra Yellow, I was among them once myself, but let me assure you, no one who was first placed in Ra Yellow, not even me, can beat Chika. He's one of the few people here I rarely ever win against."

"He's right," Katanokuto, who had followed Shinji, added, "And you won't believe how many times this guy's tried."

"He's just afraid," shrugged the Yellow duelist, a boy by the name of Maiku, seemingly ignorant as to the strength of Obelisk blue. Shinji stared blankly at Maiku for a second, taken aback by the comment. Suddenly, he began laughing.

"Afraid!?" he exclaimed, "Let me tell you, no one in Obelisk Blue is afraid of Ra Yellow students! The only student still in Yellow who stands a chance of beating someone in Blue is right behind me, and you're not the one with a shinai!"

Katanokuto pointed to his shinai at that moment to indicate it was him. As well as the head of the Duel Academia Kendo club, Katanokuto was one of the top-ranked duelists in Ra Yellow, although he didn't like to brag.

"If you think anyone from Obelisk Blue is scared," Shinji continued, "Try to duel them. If they even bother with facing a student of Ra Yellow, consider yourself lucky if you last ten turns!"

"Well, then," insisted the Maiku boy, as he took out his duel disk, "How about we duel?"

"I'll tell you what," Shinji said, "You can duel Katanokuto. If you have what it takes to beat him, then I'll duel against you. Does that sound fair?"

"No complaints from me," Katanokuto said, taking out his own duel disk. He shuffled his deck and added it in, as the disk activated.

"We're both in Ra Yellow," he declared, "So you should have no problems with agreeing to duel with me, unless you want to insult the entirety of our dorm."

"Alright, let's go!" declared Maiku, as he drew a starting hand. Shinji stood back as Katanokuto drew his cards. Dueling in the halls wasn't allowed, but he trusted his friend enough to get it done before they got caught, even if anyone cared.

"I'll go first," Katanokuto said, as he drew, "First card: Swordsman of Landstar (500/1200), in attack mode!"

The tiny warrior appeared on the field, holding its sword for battle. Although many would be surprised as to why he had such a weak card, and why such a card was even in his deck, Katanokuto had plenty of combos to use with his swordsman.

"Next," he continued, "I'll set two cards face-down. Your move."

Maiku drew his sixth card and smiled at what he saw.

"Field Magic Mountain!" he declared, as a mountain ranges appeared, surrounding the duelists. Along with that, he set one more face-down card.

"Now," declared Maiku, "I summon Spirit Ryu (1000/1000) and attack! Of course, Spirit Ryu gains 200 attack points from the field card."

A thin, now-1200 attack dragon appeared and charged forward, aiming for a killing blow. Katanokuto, however, just smiled.

Too bad," said Katanokuto, "Your monster only has 1200 attack points. Normally, it would be good against my Swordsman, but you didn't even notice my set cards. Trap card, activate! Rising Energy!"

The Swordsman of Landstar concentrated, as its strength began to increase. Soon, it countered the Spirit Ryu's attack, and caught the monster's jaws with its sword.

"Through Rising Energy," explained Katanokuto, "I can discard one card from my hand to boost the attack of one monster by 1500. More than enough to allow my Swordsman to defeat your dragon."

The Swordsman of Landstar's attack power increased to 2000, and it struck, cutting through the monster, and decreasing Maiku's LP by 800.

"Now, then," continued the blonde duelist, "That set card looks annoying, so let's get rid of it. Nobleman of Extermination."

A giant soldier appeared, stabbing down at Maiku's set card with a giant sword. The set Negate Attack vanished, cut into two by the magic card.

"Continuing on," Said Katanokuto, "I'll now summon Masaki the Legendary Swordsman (1100/1100), in attack mode." A samurai emerged, unsheathing its long sharp blade.

"Now, my swordsmen," declared Katanokuto, "Attack him directly!"

The two swordsmen lunged, pulling back their blades. Masaki went to the left, Landstar to the right. Altogether they did a total of 1600 points of damage, decreasing Maiku's LP to 1600.

"Your turn," Katanokuto said, as the two warriors returned to his side.

On Katanokuto's side of the field stood Masaki and Landstar, along with one set card, either a magic or a trap. His LP was at 4000, while Maiku's was at 1600. On his opponent's side of the field was only the field magic Mountain.

"One more thing," added Katanokuto, seeing Maiku draw his card, "Now that it's your standby phase, I'll activate my set card, Thunder of Ruler. During this turn, you can't enter your battle phase."

Maiku cursed under his breath as he looked at his hand. Although he couldn't attack, he could still take an offense.

"Summon monster, Sapphire Dragon (1900/1200) in attack mode!" he said, playing another dragonic monster, this one with 1900 attack, "And thanks to my field card, he gains 200 attack points!"

Maiku slipped a card facedown, and then ended his turn. Katanokuto sized up the monster he found himself facing, and grinned.

"Impressive," Katanokuto said, "4 stars and 2100 attack points. Plus that set card may be a problem, but I don't have any counters. What to do..."

He drew his card, then began his move.

"I'll start by summoning Elf Swordsman (1400/1200) in attack mode," he said, as the Celtic Guardian appeared, "Next, I'll equip Swordsman of Landstar with Sword of the Soul-Eater."

The sword in Landstar's hands vanished, and was replaced with a black sword with jagged edges, what seemed to be an eye was at the hilt.

"This card can only be equipped to a level three or lower normal monster," Katanokuto explained, "Once equipped, the sword will absorb the souls of all other normal monsters on my side of the field."

As he talked, Masaki and the Elf Swordsman screamed in pain, as their souls were ripped from their bodies, and transferred to the sword. The empty shells of the monsters turned to dust and vanished.

"Of course, their souls are then put to use," continued Katanokuto, "Increasing the attack of my Landstar Swordsman by 1000 for each monster sacrificed this way. Now, Landstar, attack his dragon!"

The Landstar Swordsman charged, the wicked blade gleaming black in the light. With one mighty swing, the monster struck at the Luster Dragon, striking down with its 2500 attack points against the dragon's 2100. As the two monsters entered into battle, an examiner, taking his break, walked into the halls.

"Hey, you guys!" he yelled, "Only applicants and examiners can duel right now! This duel is prohibited!"

"Oh, crap!" Exclaimed Katanokuto, "We'll end this later!"

The holograms vanished, as Katanokuto and Shinji began running down the halls. Punishment was severe for dueling when prohibited, and neither of them wanted to get caught. By doing so, they spared everyone else the punishment that would have been inflicted, as the examiner was distracted by chasing after them.

"Get back here!" called out the examiner.

"That Yellow guy starts this, then we're the ones that get chased?" Muttered Shinji, "What a rip-off."

Author's Note: Well that is the first chapter of this story. I know the duel really wasn't that exciting, but it will get more exciting by chapter three. Review's are appreciated, whether they be good or constructive criticism. Flames are not excepted.

_As Shinji and Katanokuto hide from the proctor and his punishment, they devise a comically effective plan to make their escape. A plan which puts the fate of an academy hopeful in Shinji's hands._

See you next time in Identity Crisis,


	2. Identity Crisis

Chapter 2: Identity Crisis

Shinji and Katanokuto hid behind a corner, as the examiner searched for them. The two looked back and forth at each other, wondering what course of action to take.

"What should we do?" Katanokuto muttered, "That guy's persistent."

"I've got a plan," Shinji said, "Those examiners are just volunteers who sometimes organize tournaments, not teachers or anyone who works at Duel Academia. In other words, they don't know our faces."

"So?" Katanokuto asked.

"Let me make this simple," Shinji said. He whispered something to Katanokuto, who grinned, grasping his shinai handle. When the examiner was in sight, Shinji leapt out of hiding, and began dancing around.

"Guess what!" he called out, "I'm going to break more rules now!"

"Why you little-" the examiner began, running after Shinji. Unfortunately for him, he failed to notice Katanokuto in hiding. A loud crack rang out, as the familiar sound of a shinai hitting a skull echoed. Shinji and Katanokuto dragged the struggling examiner into the nearby closet, making sure to hide their faces from him, and a minute later, Shinji, dressed as an examiner, exited. He wore dark glasses to hide his eyes, changed his hairstyle, and was already as tall as most full-grown men. Katanokuto exited as well, apologizing to the examiner.

"Now I just hope I don't have to actually test someone," said Shinji, adjusting the examiner's uniform he wore over his Obelisk Blue jacket.

Chika had watched the duel, impressed. He had also been grateful and flattered by the two friends' conversation with Nick. As such, he decided to go and look for them to thank them.

After searching for a bit, he came upon an examiner with dark hair and glasses, who looked fairly young.

"Excuse me, have you seen a guy with a blue uniform and dark hair hanging around with a guy in yellow with blond hair?" Chika asked, unaware that the examiner he was questioning was one of the two.

"Hmm, have I seen them?" Shinji said, trying to lie his way out of the situation, "Let's see, was one of them about my height, with hair a lot like mine except tied back, and an image of 'The Creator' on his back? Was his friend a bit shorter, untamed blond hair, and a shinai on his back?"

"They went that way," he said, pointing around the corner. Katanokuto was back there, so Shinji hoped his friend would handle the situation.

At that moment, another examiner came up, and tossed his duel disk to Shinji.

"I'm taking my break early," he said, "Mind covering a duel for me?"

Shinji nodded calmly, although in his mind he was thinking, _"Oh, crap, I'm no examiner. Someone's bound to notice, unless I finish whatever kid I'm against quick."_

Shinji bid Chika farewell, then went out to where the testing field was. His opponent was a young boy, who's brown hair fell over his eyes. Without a word, the boy bowed to Shinji, and drew his cards to begin. Shinji, thinking fast, placed one of his spare decks into his duel disk, figuring the deck he chose would be about examiner level, if he held back a bit.

When he looked up, Shinji saw that his opponent had already made his move, setting four cards on the field, but no monsters.

"Listen, kid," Shinji said, "You gotta tell me when you're making your move, okay? Don't just play cards without saying anything."

_"Gotta be some sort of trap down there,"_ he thought, seeing no monsters, _"Let's see, I've got an Android Psycho Shocker in this deck, if I draw it, his traps will be of no use. Otherwise, I should proceed with caution." _

He looked over his hand, before deciding on his first move.

"One card face-down," he said, "And Helping Robo for Combat in attack mode. Now then, Helping Robo, direct attack!"

The robot lunged, striking at the examinee with its attached vacuum cleaner. The boy's LP decreased to 2400, but he just grinned, as if he had some sort of plan.

At that time, one of the lesser-intelligent students of Obelisk Blue watched the duel. "Go Shinji!" he called out, unaware that Shinji was trying to be incognito, "beat that kid!"

"I don't know who this Shinji is," Shinji objected, "My name is... Yamamaru Hanataro. The Shinji you're talking about went in the opposite direction."

Shinji cursed under his breath, not wanting his cover blown.

_"How could he see through my disguise?"_ he wondered, _"I changed my hair, hid my eyes, and swapped my jacket, what went wrong?" _

As he wondered, he saw his opponent begin, and silently activated one of his set cards, Limiter Removal. Although Shinji's Helping Robo's attack points doubled, it would be destroyed at the end of the turn. The boy then set one more card, and held out his hand, indicating Shinji's move.

"I said to speak up," Shinji said, as his Robot exploded from its overload of power, "My turn- draw!"

He grinned in delight, seeing his new card.

"First I activate my set card- Call of the Haunted," he declared, reviving the Helping Robo for Combat, "Next, I sacrifice my Robot for Jinzo (2400/1200) , in attack mode! Your traps are all negated. Jinzo, direct attack!" 

As the attack launched, the boy activated one of his set cards, the quick-play magic card Scapegoat. One of the goats took the blast, leaving three unharmed.

Finally, as the boy began his turn, he spoke up.

"I was planning on using DNA Surgery," he said, his raspy, somewhat mechanical voice finally being used, "But it seems I won't need to, you already have all the machines I need. Magic card: Kill All Humans."

The magic card of what appeared to be an old-fashioned corny-movie giant robot crushing a city appeared on the field, and the Psycho shocker turned to glare at Shinji.

"Kill All Humans is a card that effects all machines," the boy explained, "I can offer as many organic monsters as I need, meaning warriors, beasts, etc, tokens included, to increase one machine type monster's attack points by 500 for each monster sacrificed. Either that machine or all machines will then directly attack whichever player has the most life points."

The goat tokens vanished, and Jinzo's attack points rose by 1500, to a total of 3900. It turned to face Shinji, glaring at him with unfeeling mechanical eyes. It raised one huge metallic hand, and wrapped it around Shinji's throat, dropping his life points down by 3900, to a total of 100.

"Impressive," Shinji said, as he gasped for breath, "Very damaging, but you're now out of monsters."

"As are you," replied the boy, "Any monster that attacks through Kill All Humans is destroyed at the end phase. Your move."

The android short-circuited, exploding into scrap metal. Neither player had anything on the field, except for all the boy's set cards.

"Wow, that is good," Shinji grinned, "A powerful card, and exactly the type of thing you can use against my deck. Although I commend you, it's still a thousand years too early for you to defeat me. Monster Reborn- revive Psycho Shocker!"

The scrap metal that lay on the ground flew together, re-forging itself into the trap-negating Android once again.

"Direct attack!" declared Shinji, as the Jinzo threw a powerful wave of energy at the boy, whose LP then dropped to zero.

"You did well, though," Shinji complimented, "But your manners need to be worked on. That aside, there's still a possibility of your acceptance."

_"Or not,"_ he thought to himself,_ "How should I know, I'm not an examiner."_

With the obligatory duel out of the way, and the examiner he had replaced ending his break, Shinji managed to return to where Katanokuto was. He caught up with his friend, and tossed the examiner jacket back into the closet, where the examiner was still tied up.

"Sorry about that," he apologized, still wearing dark glasses, "But we can't be caught breaking rules before the school year even begins. Don't worry, I covered your shift for you."

With that, he closed the door once more, as he and Katanokuto began to return to the duel arena to watch the game go by.


	3. The Blue Elites and the Yellow Star

Disclaimer: Look back towards the first chapter.

Author's Note: Well, still no reviews. I'll continue to update regardless if I get reviews or not. I will admit the duels aren't really exciting. But they are getting there, as well as the plot. That's all I can promise, anyway on with the story.

Chapter 3: The Blue Elites and the Yellow Star

A young boy walked down one of the corridors of the school. He was a handsome boy, with jet black hair and dark gray-blue eyes, and wore the uniform of a Third-Year Obelisk Blue student. His name was Tristoff Mortimer. The black-haired boy walked down the pathway from the main building to the boys dormitory. He had spent the summer at his Foster-Parents home, can't say it was enjoyable. But now he was returning home for the last time.

Shinji and Katanokuto left the arena area, once again, bored of the low-level duels. The duelists who scored higher on their written exams had already tested, leaving only the low-level ones remaining.

"Nothing else left to watch," Shinji sighed, as another duelist destined for Osiris Red barely won his duel, "Unless you want to get a laugh; all the competent duelists are done."

"That's true," Katanokuto agreed, "But hey, the boats are leaving for Duel Academia today to take the students who are already in the school back. The new applicants will have to wait a day, to get their possessions packed, but if we leave soon, we can catch the next boat back."

"Sounds like a plan," Shinji said, "Let's just head to the waiting room for a second, I brought my backpack along and I don't want to leave it."

As the two left, Katanokuto let Shinji take the lead, so he could whisper something to his Swordsman of Landstar.

"Go and check out how many duels are left," he said quietly, as the spirit listened intently, "If there's anyone skilled, let me know immediately, okay?"

The swordsman spirit saluted, and flew off down the halls, while Katanokuto caught up with his friend. At the same time, Chika sat in the waiting room and saw Shinji and Katanokuto enter. He stood up and walked over to them.

"Um… hi. I just wanted to say thanks for taking care of that kid back there for me," he said hesitantly.

"Not a problem," Shinji replied, "It was really all Katanokuto's doing, he was the one that dueled."

"Some people just don't have manners," Shrugged Katanokuto, "Yellow duelists are usually strong, but there are those that overestimate themselves. There are also those that are in Ra Yellow without being very strong, yet still get overconfident. For those people, you just need to introduce them to the real world; notice how I barely used a single rare card in the duel? If that guy is smart, he'll notice how I only had to use weak monsters against him."

"Main point is," Shinji concluded, "Leave the holier-than-thou punks to us."  
_  
"...to the real world; notice how I barely used a single rare card in the duel? If that guy is smart, he'll notice how I only had to use weak monsters against him." _Tristoff heard from around the corner. He walked up on the two students.

Shinji turned his head as he saw Tristoff approach. Although he wasn't too familiar with the Obelisk Blue's alchemic duelist (hence the fact he still used the honorific -san, instead of -kun for those he was familiar with, and no honorific for Katanokuto) they were around the same strength and rank, by the Duel Academia standards.

"Good afternoon, Tristoff-san" Shinji said to Tristoff, "We were just talking about some of the applicants, and some older students who just don't learn."

One of Tristoff's black eyebrows raised a bit at that "older students" bit. Seeing a potential threat in that statement, Tristoff merely said, "Oh?"

"Yeah, some idiot from Ra Yellow started acting all tough," Shinji laughed, "Said he could beat anyone in Blue, or something like that. So Katanokuto here dueled him, and was winning with barely a single rare card. Would have won as well if the duel wasn't called off; an examiner saw the dueling in the halls, which is against the rules, so it had to be cancelled."

"Hmmm. Truly ridiculous rule if you ask me. A person should be aloud to duel in any way they wish..." Or so Tristoff told them, but his true philosophy was different, one he'd never say.

"Yeah, that is true," Shinji agreed, "But they have their reasons; the halls are small, and dueling in there takes up space, so it blocks the path, or something like that. But it is true that we shouldn't limit dueling with the Duel Disks to only arenas and designated areas."

At that time, Katanokuto's spirit partner, the Swordsman of Landstar, floated in. The swordsman knew that only Katanokuto could see him, so it signaled with its arms that there weren't any applicants that stuck out in particular. Although Katanokuto didn't show any response, knowing it would look strange to those around him, he closed his eyes for three seconds, signaling to the spirit that he understood.

Tristoff looked at Katanokuto for a moment, his Grey-Eyes ever cool and calm.

"So, I see you are in your a second year?" Tristoff guessed.

"Yep," Katanokuto nodded, "Katanokuto Kenichi, Ra Yellow second year, and head of the Academia Kendo club. Pleased to meet you."

"He's an old friend of mine," Shinji explained, "We went to Ra Yellow together last year, but I was promoted to Blue and he wasn't."

At that moment, an announcement rang out in the break room: "Attention all second and third year students, the first boats back to Duel Academia will be departing shortly."

"We might want to get going," Shinji said, as he picked up his backpack from under one of the benches, "Nice talking to you all."

Tristoff watched the two of them. Something in him told him to watch out for them. Tristoff then moved towards the boat, he was finally going home to the academy. At the same time, Shinji slung his backpack over his shoulder, while Katanokuto took his shinai off his back.

"What's with the shinai now?" Shinji asked.

"In case anyone tries to get in our way and slow us down," Katanokuto replied, "We need to get to the boat fast, so if anyone tries to stop us, whether an student, examiner, or teacher, they'll think twice about getting in the way of someone carrying this."

Shinji and Katanokuto boarded the boat, as the crowd filed onto it. The boat was filled with students, from all the different dorms. As the lines shrunk and everyone boarded, the boat set off.

"It'll probably take an hour to get there by boat," Katanokuto said, leaning against the railings, "There's a duel arena downstairs, though. How about we go there and have a duel, for fun, y'know?"

"Sounds good," Shinji said, "Say, you seen where Chika-san went? It seems we lost him in the crowd."

To be certain, Chikamatsu was no longer with them. He had left around the time Tristoff appeared; not because he didn't want to be near them, but because he wasn't sure how

Shinji and Katanokuto went under the deck, where there was a large dueling room. There were tables all around for people to duel, and three large arenas in the middle, where people could use their duel disks. Two of them were taken, but there was one at the very end that no one was dueling in. At the side of the room there was a row of duel disks, and both Katanokuto and Shinji took one disk each.

"You want me to use a deck you can fight on an even level with?" Shinji asked, taking many deck boxes out of his backpack, "Or should I just use my main one?"

"Go all out," Katanokuto smirked, "I'm feeling lucky today."

"It'll take more than luck, but suit yourself," Shinji said, taking a deck from a black deck box. The two shuffled and cut the cards, before sliding them in the duel disks and moving to opposite sides of the arena.

"Duel!"

"Let's go," Shinji said, as he drew his cards, "You wanted my best deck, so don't be surprised if I show no mercy. Draw!"

He looked over his hand, before declaring his move.

"Shining Angel (1400/1100), in attack mode!" He said, placing one card on his duel disk. A beautiful light shone in the middle of the field, and from it emerged an angel with large, golden wings.

"Your move," Shinji said.

"Just a monster? No traps or anything?" Katanokuto said, "What, an unlucky hand?"

"My hand can't be lucky or unlucky, that depends on how the duel goes," Shinji replied.

"Well, suit yourself," Shrugged Katanokuto, "Gearfried the Iron Knight (1800/1600), in attack mode! Attack the angel!"

A full metal knight appeared on Katanokuto's side of the field, and charged at the Shining Angel. With one swing, the angel was vanquished, but its light remained, still shining in the field.

"Shining Angel's special effect now activates," Declared Shinji, "When it's destroyed in battle, I can special summon a light type monster from my deck with an attack of 1500 or less. So I special summon Z-Metal Tank (1500/1300)!"

As Shinji's LP dropped to 3600, a large yellow tank drove out of the light, remaining on the field.

"Now then," Shinji said, beginning his turn, "I summon Y-Dragon Head (1500/1600) to the field, then equip Z-Metal Tank to the Dragon head through its effect."

The mechanical dragon was summoned, and docked itself on the Tank. The two connected, and the Y-Dragon Head had an attack of 2100 remaining.

"Y-Dragon Head," Shinji said, "Attack Gearfried!"

The Dragon Head's mouth opened, as a small cannon was revealed inside. With one shot of energy, the iron knight was destroyed.

"Done warming up?" grinned Katanokuto, "I'd say it's about time to get serious."

Katanokuto drew, and then began his move.

"Warrior Dai Grepher (1700/1600) in attack mode," he said, "And two cards face-down. Your move."

_"It's probably a trap,"_ Shinji thought,_ "Katanokuto uses traps to protect and power up his swordsmen, that's a normal monster, so he could also have Order to Charge set. But if it's a trap such as Rising Energy or his Ready for Intercepting/A Feint Plan combo, then I can break it by destroying his Warrior. If I draw X-Head Cannon, then I can return Z-Metal Tank to a monster and fuse them all into XYZ-Dragon Cannon. Let's see my luck."  
_  
He drew his card, but it wasn't X-Head Cannon. Instead, he drew Familiar Knight, which wouldn't be able to defeat the Dai Grepher. But then, defeating a monster isn't what he put that Knight in his deck for.

"Familiar Knight (1200/1400), in attack mode," Shinji said, summoning his monster, "Now, Y-Dragon Head, attack!"

"Activate my trap combo!" Katanokuto called out, using his two set cards, "Ready for Intercepting and a Feint Plan! Ready for Intercepting switches my Warrior Dai Grepher to face-down defense mode, and A Feint Plan prevents you from attacking my set cards!"

_"As I thought," _Shinji thought, _"I could now turn my machines into YZ-Tank Dragon and use its effect to destroy is set card, but I still wouldn't be able to attack. And as it is, I want him to attack my Familiar Knight."  
_  
Katanokuto's turn began, and he switched his Warrior to attack mode.

"Warrior Dai Grepher," he called out, "Attack the Familiar Knight!"

The two swordsmen clashed, but Familiar Knight's blade broke with ease, as Dai Grepher cut through him. With the Knight gone, its effect activated, and both players special summoned a level four monster.

"I chose to special summon Rare Metal Dragon (2400/1200) to my field." He said, as a dragon made of dark metal appeared.

"And I chose to special summon Kojikocy (1500/1200) in defense mode." A bandit monster appeared.

"Also," Katanokuto added, "I play Swords of Revealing Light! Your attacks are sealed for three turns. Turn end." Three swords of light encased Shinji.

Shinji drew, not getting the X-Head Cannon he wanted, but still a good combo.

"I'll return Z-Metal Tank to its position as a monster," he said, "and remove both Z and Y from play to special summon YZ-Tank Dragon (2100/2200)!" The tank began to open up, as the mechanical dragon descended, attaching itself at the opening.

"Now, I'll equip my Tank Dragon with United We Stand, and end my turn."

One of the swords vanished as Katanokuto began his turn. "I'll start by summon Celtic Guardian (1400/1200) to my field in defense." An elf swordsman appeared crouching. Raising it's sword to defend itself.

"That does it for me this turn." Katanokuto said.

Shinji drew, _'I'm still unable to attack thanks to his swords. I'll guess I have to wait it out,' _he thought to himself. "I'll place two card facedown and end." A pair of facedown card appeared behind this tank dragon. Another sword disappeared.

'_I'm almost ready to take the offense, just need a little more time', _Katanokuto thought, "Alright, I summon Masaki the Legendary Warrior (1100/1100) in defense, and set a card facedown to, I end my turn." A green armored samurai appeared.

Shinji drew another card, unable to do anything. "I pass." He said as last sword passed.

"Now its time to take the offense," Katanokuto said adding another card to his hand. "I start by taking the offense by summoning Swordsman of Landstar (500/1200)." His toy warrior appeared.

"I'll equip Swordsman of Landstar with Sword of the Soul-Eater," he declared, as the wicked black blade appeared in his Landstar's hand again. His four other monsters screamed as their souls were ripped from their bodies, powering up Landstar to 4500 attack points, 800 points stronger than the Tank Dragon.

"Landstar, attack!" Katanokuto declared, as the swordsman flew at the Tank. However, Shinji had anticipated that move, and set a trap of his own.

"Activate Call of the Haunted," Shinji declared, "I'll revive Shining Angel, and thanks to United We Stand, my Tank Dragon gains an extra 800 attack points now, making it equal to the strength of your Landstar!"

"Counter with Rising Energy!" Katanokuto declared, discarding one card from his hand, "Landstar's attack points now increase another 1500!"

The 6000 attack point Swordsman was about to destroy Shinji's Tank Dragon, when Shinji activated a second trap.

"Chain with Return from the Different Dimension!" he said, "By paying half my LP (1800) I can special summon all my monsters that were removed from play!"

Z-Metal Tank and Y-Dragon head returned to the field, and the Tank Dragon gained another 1600 attack points. The Landstar was at 6000, while the Tank Dragon was at 6100, just enough to destroy the Landstar. Katanokuto's LP dropped by 100 (3600), but he still had one summon. Using that, he placed one monster in face-down defense mode.

"It's over," Shinji declared, as the two monsters he called back with Return from D.D. vanished, "I activate YZ-Tank Dragon's effect! By discarding one card from my hand, I can destroy a face-down monster on your side of the field!"

A beam of energy shot to the set card, destroying Katanokuto's defensive Penguin Soldier. With that, his field was open.

The Rare Metal Dragon lunged, the Shining Angel threw glowing feathers like darts, and the YZ-Tank Dragon shot a final burst of energy. Katanokuto's LP dropped to zero, as he fell to one knee, while still grinning.

"Started out slow," Katanokuto said, "But we had a great finish! Good duel!"

"You too," Shinji nodded, "That was pretty fun."

As the duel concluded, Tristoff clapped his hands slowly.

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!" He commended, approaching the two duelists.

Following Tristoff's lead, others who watched the duel began to clap. Shinji and Katanokuto looked at each other, grinned, then dramatically faced the crowd.

"Thank you, thank you!" Shinji called out, bowing dramatically to everyone, "You've been a great audience!"

"We'll be at Duel Academia all year," Katanokuto said, waving to the crowd, "And don't forget to join the Kendo club!"

The two left the duel arena, feeling very satisfied with themselves.

"Nothing like a good duel, followed by a nice boost to your popularity," Katanokuto said, as he a group of Osiris Red second years begged to trade with him.

"You said it," Shinji agreed, slightly distracted by an Obelisk Blue girl who was near them, "Nice move there, by the way. Your sword I was expecting, but I didn't see a double-power up coming with that trap card as well. 6000 attack points from Landstar! Awesome!"

"Same for you," Katanokuto nodded, "Nice use of United We Stand, special summoning monsters with traps to add more power."

"Well done, for second-years." Came the voice of Tristoff. He had followed them, wanting to commend the two on their duel.

"Thanks a lot," Katanokuto replied to Tristoff, "Really, that's the strongest I've ever gotten my Landstar up to, but Shinji still managed to outdo me. I haven't been able to beat that guy when he uses that deck once, but I was close! If I only drew Sogen or Banner of Courage- I could have beat his monster!"

"No use thinking about the what-ifs," Shinji said, "What happened, no changing that."

"I'll remember that the next time I win," replied Katanokuto.

"Yes it was close." Tristoff said, but in his mind he said, _"But not close enough you fool!"_


	4. Full Obelisk Alchemist

Author's Note: Sorry for not updating sooner. Just been busy, that's all. Anyway here are three chapters to make it up.

**Chapter 4: Full Obelisk Alchemist  
**  
"So, we shall be reaching the island soon enough." Tristoff said, turning to the crowd. "Is there anyone here willing to duel me?"

"I will!" a Ra Yellow came down, running onto the platform with Tristoff. He was a third year Ra Yellow by the name of Shigure. Had Katanokuto been paying attention, he'd have remembered that Shigure was a beatdown user; one who focused almost solely on offense and high-powered monsters.

"Duel!" they both said, as they drew their hands.  
**  
**Chika came up to Shinji and Katanokuto. He had lost them almost as soon as they had boarded the boat, but he had made his way to the dueling arena to see if there was anyone worth watching. There he had seen the conclusion of their duel.

"Good duel, guys. Heh, if you're not in Obelisk Blue by the end of the year, Katanokuto, I'll give up Duel Monsters," he said with a laugh.

"Glad to see you liked it," Katanokuto replied, "I'm hoping to get promoted this year myself, I just hope I won't catch a cold like I did last year. You remember that, right, Shinji? Shinji?" 

Shinji, meanwhile, had left the dueling arena, escorting the Obelisk Blue girl he was talking with to the boat's snack bar. 

"Damn Casanova's at it again," sighed Katanokuto, seeing Shinji leave, "You wouldn't believe how many girls in the academy put dueling before love, though, so he has yet to get a girlfriend."

"Well it doesn't look like that's putting him off," laughed Chika, "Apparently he's not lacking in self-confidence to any extent."

Chika looked over at Shinji with a twinge of jealousy, wishing that he could talk to girls like that.

"What about you; do you have a girlfriend?" he asked Katanokuto.

The swordsman answered Chika's question without hesitation. Not only was he single, he was proud of the fact. Had no intention to change whatsoever.

"Nope, never once," he said, still as cheerful as ever, "The cards and sword before everything else, for me. I've gotten a few love letters, but who's got time for a girlfriend? One can be content by himself, y'know?"

"Yeah, I guess," Chika said unsurely. "Still, I suppose it'd be nice to have someone to.. y'know. Do stuff with."

"That's what you get friends for," laughed Katanokuto, "Unless by 'stuff' you mean THAT type of stuff, in which case... changing the topic now... so, how about that weather?"

As they spoke, Tristoff's duel with Shigure began. The Yellow boy seemed somewhat pissed off, having been taunted by some of the blue students. None of them said he stood a chance.

"Just because I'm a nice guy, I'll let you go first." Tristoff said.

"Fine!" Shigure said, "I'll summon Vorse Raider (1900/1200) in attack mode!" the beast warrior appeared before the Duelist. "And that's it."

Tristoff drew. "You've already failed. I play the Magic Card, Alchemic Kettle- Chaos Distill!" Behind Tristoff, a large, round machine rose from the ground.

"Now I play the magic cards, Iron Lamp, Copper Scales, and Tin Panel! These allow me to summon Alchemic Beast Iron Salamander (500/0), Alchemic Beast Copper Ouroboros (500/0), and Alchemic Beast Tin Aitos! (500/0)" the Iron Dragon, Copper Snake, and Tin Bird appeared on the field.

"Now my monsters, use your special abilities to attack his Life Points directly!" The three monsters charged pass the Vorse Raider and attacked the Ra Yellow student. Reducing them to 2500.

"I'll place a card and end my turn." Tristoff smiled.

Tristoff glanced at Katanokuto, but then back to the duel. Let him watch. Let him see what a true duelist's strength was. Close is never close enough.

"I'll summon X-Head Cannon (1800/1600) in attack mode!" Shigure said, as the machine appeared, "Now my Cannon, attack his Tin Aitos!" the Cannon shot at the Tin Bird, sending clouds of smoke into the air.

"Activate Trap!" Tristoff countered. A spinning vortex appeared around the Aitos, protecting it from harm. "My Negate Attack negates your attack and ends your battle phase." His life points

"Grr...I end my turn," spat Shigure.

"Smart of you," Tristoff smirked, "Now I'll activate Lead Compass to summon Alchemic Beast Lead Lion (500/0)." the Metallic Lion appeared with the other Alchemic Monsters. "Now my monsters, attack!" the four monsters bypassed X-Head Cannon, attacking Shigure. Leaving him with 500 life points.

The Ra Yellow duelist drew. "I'll summon a second X-Head Cannon (1800/1600). Now destroy his Lion and Aitos!" the Cannons fired at the two monsters, destroying them, putting him at 2700.

"That did nothing," laughed Tristoff, brushing off the damage as meaningless. "Now, my Salamander! Destroy the rest of his Life Points!" The Iron Dragon moved passed the two machines, striking Shigure directly. He cried out as his life points dropped to zero, losing him the match.

Most of the third year Obelisk Blues, those who knew him, clapped and cheered but other's whispered amongst themselves as Tristoff walked off the platform, leaving the Ra Yellow in a rage. Tristoff silently walked past Chika and Katanokuto, to join with those Obelisk Third Years who applauded him. Yet they did not seem to be friends; rather, more like vultures and scavengers who fought amongst themselves for the prey they picked.


	5. Be it ever so humble, there's no place l

**Chapter 5: Be it ever so humble, there's no place like Duel Academia**

While Tristoff was busy defeating Shigure, Chika was busy dueling one of Tristoff's "friends." His dinosaur charged forward, slamming opposing student to the ground and reducing his life points to zero.

Chika calmly shut off his duel disk and stepped down from the platform, walking past Tristoff and the other astonished third years. Another empty victory.

_"He's strong," _thought Katanokuto in amazement, _"Every protection is prepared for magic, traps, and monsters. Very impressive."  
_  
He grinned and added to himself, "No wonder Shinji can never beat this guy."

Speaking of Shinji, it seemed his luck was about to turn around. Or at least, so he hoped. The Obelisk Blue girl and him were hitting it off quite well, enjoying a soda and discussing things they were both interested in. They even had the same deck theme, although with different cards. Shinji began to believe his love life would finally start looking up. It was then that the boat arrived at Duel Academia, and everyone started to depart.

"I'll talk to you later," the girl said, getting to her feet, "How about by the waterfall after dinner?" 

"I'll see you there," Shinji said, as the girl left. He grinned to himself, feeling that he'd finally get a girlfriend.

"So, what's her name?" Asked Katanokuto, who stood behind Shinji, having followed the crowd out of the duel arena. "Any luck?"

"How long have you been standing there?" Shinji asked.

"Just a few seconds, everyone's getting ready to leave," shrugged the blond duelist. "So, her name?"

"Yuna Asakura," Shinji said, "I'm meeting her again after dinner. Wish me luck!"

Tristoff and his "friends" got off the boat. The one who Chika beat had a black eye, courtesy of one of the other Obelisk Blues. The loser had a fearful look in his eyes as they moved up one of the paths to the Obelisk Blue's dormitory. Chika, himself, filed off the boat with the other students. He noticed his beaten opponent's black eye, and his "friends" glaring at him.

_"s," _he thought bitterly, _"They need to learn to deal with failure."_

He wondered whether he should go and join Shinji and Katanokuto, but he thought that they might not like him hanging around with them uninvited like some clingy hanger-on. So he walked up to the Obelisk Blue dorm alone.

"It's good to be back here."

He went into the mansion-like building, read the notice board that listed each student's room for that year, and went to his new room, where he dumped his bags on the floor and his cards on his desk. 

"Yep, definitely good to be back here."

Shinji and Katanokuto stopped walking at the pathway that split between Obelisk Blue and Ra Yellow.

"So, see you tomorrow," Shinji said, turning to face in the direction of the Blue dorms. 

"Yep, tomorrow," nodded Katanokuto. The two departed, Shinji towards Obelisk Blue, Katanokuto towards Ra Yellow. As Shinji looked at the room listings, he saw that he was ranked high enough to be considered "elite," and elites didn't need roommates.

"Alright," he thought to himself, as he took the key to his room, "The room's all mine this year!" 

Katanokuto, being one of the higher ranked Yellow students, was also spared a roommate, unless you counted his Swordsman of Landstar spirit. As he tossed his bags in the room, the spirit floated around, looking at the new room.

"And I even have a room with a view," Katanokuto thought, looking out the window.

Up in the principal's office, Sameshima, headmaster of Duel Academy, was in his office, looking over the folders of the new students who were accepted, along with the old ones who were returning for their second or third years. As he was finishing one folder, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," he called out, placing down the papers. As he said so, Tristoff entered.

"Ah, Tristoff-kun," Sameshima greeted, "Have a seat."

"Hello, Principal," Tristoff said, as he took his seat, "I have come to see you, since the alchemy class has been cancelled for years, even before I came here, and since I've nowhere to go after this year... Could I perhaps return next year as the alchemy teacher? This Academy has been a truer home to me than the foster home I lived in. And nothing would please me than to pass my knowledge to new students."

"Hmm, that's some request," Sameshima pondered, "Although your grades are very good, and you did always get top scores in your alchemy class before you came to Duel Academy, not to mention your deck. But to hire one as a teacher right after graduation... you're still young, there's so much you can do. Very well, here's my offer: After graduation, take one year to travel the world and try different things. Try to find a calling, and if teaching Alchemy still appeals to you after that year, then we shall see if you're qualified. Does that sound fair?"

Tristoff showed fake sadness in his eyes, hiding blind anger. But his voice had its same politeness. He stood and bowed.

"Yes, I will think on what you've said. Thank you…principal." and with that, Tristoff walked out the door of the Principal's office.

About an hour, half-hour, later, Sameshima sat in his office, contemplating what just happened.

_"Tristoff-kun," _he thought, _"He has such great power, but holds such anger. It shows in the way he duels, and in the way he acts. I can't allow him to hold a job as he is now. But I hope seeing the world will help him. But first, I should see how this year goes." _

He pulled out the files on the new students, and began to look over it. It was always a pleasure to learn about the new students, those who he'd be working with for the next few years. He looked out the window, gathering his thoughts, and saw Shinji running into the woods, where the waterfall was.

"He shouldn't be out this late," Sameshima thought, "Shinji-kun, I think it is. However, I'll let it go by."

He looked past the forest, to the lake that separated the boys' and girls' dorms, where Yuna Asakura was busy taking a boat towards the forest.

"Ah, to be young again," he laughed, feeling very old at that moment.


	6. All's Fair in Love and Dueling

**Chapter 6: All's Fair in Love and Dueling**

Halfway through the night, there came a knock at Tristoff's door. The black haired teen quickly got his deck together, and putting it back in his pocket he opened the door, revealing his least favorite teacher. 

Professor Chronos de Mediz came in. The feminine-looking male stopped, looking down at the student.

"Signore Mortimer, I've come to inform you that tomorrow, you will be facing a student in a Ceremonial Duel, to start off the new year -na no ne." Chronos told him.

"Really, Professor? Who will I be facing?" Tristoff asked.

"I am not sure yet. Someone in Obelisk Blue or Ra Yellow -na no ne." Chronos told him.

"Very well, now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go to bed..." Tristoff said.

"Very well -na no ne." Chronos closed the door when he left.

Tristoff smiled arrogantly at the fact that some fool was going to lose tomorrow.

About ten minutes, later, there was a knocking at Katanokuto's door. The blonde swordsman rolled out of bed, rubbing his eyes. His Ra Yellow jacket was lying on the floor, replaced by pajamas.

"Wha?" he muttered, approaching the door, "Who could it be at this time?"

He slowly opened the door, to see Professor Chronos standing in front of him.

"Whatever it was, I didn't do it!" He exclaimed, shocked to see the teacher in front of him at that time, "But I don't swing that way either, just in case that's what this is about! And by that I just mean hypothetically- I don't mean everyone in the Academia thinks you do! In fact, disregard those last two comments altogether, I don't know what I'm talking about!"

Chronos lifted an eyebrow at what the boy had just said. Normally, he would snap and say something very rude, but he was sure that Katanokuto would get his just desserts the next day.

"I came to inform you that tomorrow, you've been selected to participate in a Year Opening Duel for the whole school -na no ne. I'm not sure whom you are facing, but the duelist is in Obelisk Blue -na no ne." Chronos told the boy.

"Oh, that's a relief," Katanokuto sighed. He then paused for a second, thinking over what was just said.

"Wait a second!" He exclaimed, "I'm supposed to be facing someone from Blue!? Who is it? Shinji? Chika-san? Tristoff-san? Or some nameless elite I don't know yet? And why are you pitting a student from Ra Yellow against someone from Blue!"

He shook his head wildly, then stopped, snapping his senses into himself.

"No, I should look at this positively!" he declared, "This means I'm ranked at least strong enough to face someone from Blue in front of the school! If they wanted a weakling who would lose just to prove the strength of Obelisk Blue, they'd take someone from Osiris Red. Alright, now I have something to look forwards to!"

The Swordsman of Landstar spirit sighed, not understanding Katanokuto's wild train of thought.

"I'm not sure who it is you're facing," Chronos lied, "But I do no that it will take place an hour after the First-Years arrive -na no ne. It will take place in the Duel Arena. You will be expected to be on your best game at that time -na no ne." and with that, Professor Chronos left the room. Katanokuto shut the door as Chronos left, before walking back to his bed and collapsing.

"Great," he muttered, "If I know who I'm facing, I'm sure I can find a way to beat them. I can take on most of the weaker Blue students, but what if I'm supposed to face an elite?"

The Landstar spirit floated to beside him, which gave Katanokuto an idea.

"That's it!" he exclaimed, "Landstar, could you follow Chronos-sensei and find out who I'm dueling? If you can't get that from him, then... well, I'm sure you'll find a way. If not, life goes on."

The swordsman saluted, before flying through the walls (Hey, spirits aren't material) and around the island, following the professor. A little while later, he saw Chronos looking at two of the school profiles for two students. One was Katanokuto, the other an Obelisk Blue by the name of Tristoff. The Landstar Swordsman spirit recognized Tristoff and knew what Chronos was doing, hence putting two and two together to understand that he was to be Katanokuto's opponent. With that in mind, the spirit flew back to the Ra Yellow dorms, where Katanokuto was waiting, half-asleep.

Through various motions which only Katanokuto and the spirit could understand, Landstar signaled that he would be dueling against "that alchemist guy."

"Just my luck," Katanokuto muttered, "Now I'll be up all night... figuring out... ways... to... win..."

Up all night? Please, he fell asleep while saying that.

The next day, the boats for the new students arrived. Shinji sat in front of the lighthouse, his legs dangling a few inches away from the water. Boats filled with new duelists approached, as the first year students exited. He noticed that there were a lot of students in Red, a good amount in Yellow, and very few in Blue. However, he noticed that among the Blue students, the silent boy with the Kill All Humans card that he beat during the testing was there.

_"What's that kid doing here?"_ he wondered,_ "I beat him, that means he shouldn't have been accepted. Must have some connections, I guess."_

Katanokuto ran out of the Ra Yellow breakfast hall, still holding a half-eaten piece of toast in his mouth. He stopped by where Shinji sat, taking the piece of toast in his hands.

"Morning," Katanokuto said, "So, how'd it go last night?"

"Long story," Shinji muttered, "You got time to listen?" 

"Normally, I would," Apologized Katanokuto, "But I was chosen to be in the duel this morning, as part of the welcoming ceremony. Can you tell me afterwards?"

"Sure," Shrugged Shinji, "Good luck, by the way. You go ahead, I'll be back soon."

Katanokuto ran off, headed towards the duel arena. When he was out of sight, Shinji leaned back against the ground, staring at the sky. All he could think of saying at that time was.

"Love sucks."

_The first official duel of the school year begins! Although Katanokuto tries to take an offense with his swordsmen, Tristoff continues to break through them to attack his life points directly with his alchemic monsters. Then, Tristoff plays his powerful Golden Homonculus, forcing Katanokuto into a corner, where he must rely on luck, and his Swordsman of Landstar. Next time in Opening Duel!_


	7. Opening Duel

**Chapter 7: Opening Duel**

Tristoff stood to one side of the Duel Arena as the other students began to file in. He new that Sameshima would be the one to announce the duelists.

"Good, the sooner I get this over with, the sooner I can get back to work." Tristoff Mortimer said, going through his deck one more time.

As the crowd filled the arena, Sameshima faced the newcomers. Young, eager faces filled the halls, duelists in every dorm waiting to see what was awaiting them. They'd have a treat their first day, he was sure of that.

"Welcome to Duel Academia," he declared, "I have quite a speech planned out for you new students, but before that comes our traditional welcoming duel!"

There erupted a cheer from the audience, and Sameshima waited for it to calm down before continuing.

"From Obelisk Blue, we have the alchemic duelist, Tristoff Mortimer!" He declared,

"And from Ra Yellow, the swordsman duelist and captain of the Academia Kendo club, Katanokuto Kenichi!" 

Everyone cheered, as the duelists entered the arena, duel disks and decks at ready.

"Good luck," Katanokuto said, bowing to Tristoff.

"Cut and shuffle the decks," announced Sameshima, "And begin!"

"I will give you the honor of the first move," Tristoff smirked, crossing his arms as he waited for Katanokuto to go.

"All right, then," Katanokuto said, drawing his cards. He looked over his hand, recalling the strategies he saw Tristoff use before.

"I figured he would have me go first," he thought to himself, "That way, he can play as many alchemic cards as possible and attack quickly. I found a few cards in my deck to counter that, but I don't have one in my hand." 

He drew his card, barely hiding a grin.

"Two cards face-down," He declared, "And Kojikocy (1500/1200) in attack mode. Your move."

Tristoff drew a Black Process Nigredo. He added it to his hand, containing many more alchemic cards.

Tristoff smiled, "First I'll play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy one of your face down cards."

He pointed at the set card on the left. A whirlwind surrounded it, destroying Thunder of Ruler.

"Now I'll play a card that you'll be familiar with, Alchemic Kettle- Chaos Distill!" the large Round Machine lifted from the ground.

"And with it on the field, all my cards are removed from play instead of going to the graveyard. Now I'll play Copper Scales and Lead Compass. To Summon Alchemist Beast Copper Ouroboros (500/0) and Lead Lion (500/0)."

The metallic snake and lion appeared on the field, hissing at Katanokuto. They were completely ignoring Kojikocy; he wasn't worth the time.

"Now my beasts, attack his life points directly!" Tristoff commanded. The two monsters passed the Warrior and struck Katanokuto.

Or so he thought. Katanokuto's life points remained at 4000, and it was Tristoff's monsters that fell.

"Counter with Staunch Defender," Katanokuto declared, activating his set card. Kojikocy got in between Tristoff's monsters and Katanokuto, countering both the attacks and cutting his two monsters in half.

Tristoff gritted his teeth, his life points falling to 2500, but he wasn't done. "And for finish, I'll play Black Process Nigredo. I'll remove my Ouroboros and Lion in order to draw four cards."

Tristoff smiled. "I'll play Iron Lamp to bring Alchemic Beast Iron Salamander (500/0) to the field, and set a card face-down." The iron dragon appeared on the field, and a set card appeared at Tristoff's feet.

"I end my turn."

"Alright, off to a good start," thought Katanokuto, as he drew his card, "Unfortunately, there go two of the cards I hoped would help me. Better than nothing, though. His set card's gotta be some sort of defense. If it's Draining Shield, I'd best try to draw it out with a weaker monster, first."

He looked at his new card, and declared his move.

"Summon Different Dimension Survivor (1700/1600), in attack mode!" He declared, as a dark portal appeared in the middle of the arena. From the hole emerged a warrior covered by a tattered robe. Under the robe was hidden bright armor, and from there it unsheathed a sword. 

"Kojikocy, attack the Iron Salamander!" He declared, as the hunter drew his sword and lunged at the alchemic monster.

"Activate Trap Card! Negate Attack!" Tristoff countered. A shield came up surrounding the Salamander, deflecting the warrior's attack. "Now your Battle Phase shall end."

"Seven cards removed from the game…That would equal 2100 attack. Not just yet…" Tristoff thought.

"I thought it would be something like that," Katanokuto said, "Alright then, your move."

The two swordsmen stood by Katanokuto, each with their blades drawn. His LP was at full, while Tristoff's was at 2500, but it had just begun. Tristoff drew, obtaining the Silver Key.

"Perfect." Tristoff said, "I'll play Silver Key to summon Alchemist Beast Silver Moonface (500/0)!" The Silver beast appeared next to the Iron Dragon.

"Now my Beasts! Go and attack!" the two monsters charged and struck at Katanokuto. Katanokuto's LP dropped down to 3000, not having any counter to the two alchemic monsters. He gritted his teeth and withstood the attack, knowing he still had counters left. Katanokuto drew, hoping his warriors could overpower the alchemic monsters at the rate he was at.

"Go, Kojikocy, DD Survivor," he called out, "Attack his monsters!"

The two swordsmen lunged at the alchemic beasts, their swords cutting down at the two alchemic creations.

"Kojikocy has 1500 attack points," Katanokuto thought, "Survivor has 1800. If the attack goes through, his LP should be down to 200. I can do this! I can win!"

Tristoff covered his eyes as his monsters were destroyed. His life points went to a mere 200, but strangely enough, Tristoff was still smiling. He looked over at Sameshima, as if to transmit a message to him.

"Now you'll learn, you impudent fool." Tristoff's mind snarled. "Your move," Katanokuto said, hoping Tristoff wouldn't draw a pinch-hitter.

From the sidelines, Shinji watched the duel intently, drowning out his feelings with the progress of the game.

"He's winning," Shinji thought, "But now's not the time to get overconfident. I've seen Tristoff's strongest card, and it's not something I want to mess with."

"You were doing a lot better when I thought this duel was nothing," Tristoff smirked,

"But now you've gotten my attention. I now play the magic card, White Process Alberied!"

Tristoff slammed the card onto the disk, and from behind Tristoff, a Gold Statue began to rise. A statue that was moving on it's own.

"Behold my Gold Homunculus (?/?)!" Tristoff shouted. Katanokuto gaped, staring at the huge golden behemoth that appeared. It towered over his two swordsmen, making them look insignificant in comparison. 

"Incredible," he muttered, "Is that his strongest card?"

"No," Shinji thought to himself, "It's strong, but not the strongest. Katanokuto should consider himself lucky to not be in the cosmos quite yet. He's got to finish this now, before it's too late." 

Sameshima stared at the powerful monster, his eyes widened in joy. He always got like that when it came to seeing a strong card, he couldn't help it.

"Now, my Golden Monster's Attack and Defense depend on how many cards are removed from play. For each card that I've removed from play, it gains 300 attack and defense points. Now let's review how many cards that I've removed." Tristoff said. He pulled out eleven cards from his pocket, fanning them out.

"Now, If my math is correct, it gives my Gold Homunculus 3300 attack and defense points!" Tristoff smiled, "Now my behemoth, destroy his Kojikocy!" Tristoff pointed at the weaker monster. The Large Behemoth raised its fist and smashed into Kojikocy. Katanokuto's LP dropped down by 1800, leaving him at 1200 LP.

"And let that be a lesson to all who try and challenge me." Tristoff thought bitterly.

"Amazing," Katanokuto commented, "But I still have life left. My turn. Draw!"

Katanokuto looked at his hand. He just drew Pot of Greed, but nothing else he had would be of use.

"Magic card- Pot of Greed," he said, drawing two cards, then playing one of them, "One monster in defense-mode, and I'll switch my Survivor into defense mode. Your turn!"  
Tristoff drew a card. Monster Reincarnation? No, it wouldn't help.

"Golden Homunculus! Destroy his D.D. Survivor!" Tristoff commanded.

The large Alchemic Monster smashed its fist into D.D. Survivor, shattering it. The tattered robes flew into the air, vanishing as the monster was defeated.

"You are lucky he was in defense mode," Tristoff said. "And with this victory, some of the staff will think I'd be a good enough duelist to teach at the academy."

"Graceful Charity," Katanokuto declared, "With this, I can draw three cards, at the cost of discarding two."

"Please be lucky, please be lucky," he thought to himself, picking up the cards. He looked at what he drew, and sighed in relief.

"Alright, let's see if my strongest card is worth anything," he said, activating a magic card, "Ritual magic- Black Luster Ritual!"

A huge gateway appeared on the field, with two burning pyres on each side. In the fires appeared the spirits of two swordsman monsters.

"I'll offer Sword Hunter and Masaki the Legendary Swordsman from my hand as tribute," he said, as the two cards vanished into the flame, "To call forth Black Luster Soldier (3000/2500)!"

The gate opened, and from it emerged a beautifully armored warrior, holding a curved blade and a large shield. It appeared on the field with its shield at ready, in defense position.

"Two cards face-down," he continued, "And it's your move." 

"Powerful indeed," Shinji thought, "But its strength still isn't enough to beat that Homunculus. The best he can do with those set cards is defend, unless it's a bluff."

"An admirable attempt, but feeble," Tristoff laughed, "This is for anyone who thinks to challenge me. Gold Homunculus! Destroy his Black luster Soldier!"

The Gold Statue charged at the Soldier, being just strong enough to destroy it. Too bad he couldn't attack the monster.

"Activate trap cards!" Declared Katanokuto, "Ready For Intercepting and A Feint Plan!"

The Black Luster Soldier was flipped face-down, and the Gold Homunculus's fist was repelled from the set cards.

"You saw me use this on the boat yesterday," Katanokuto said, "So don't act surprised. Of course, defending won't help me win, but if I have a strong card, I can make it stronger. I'm gambling everything I have on this card, and on the next one I draw. You done?"

"Yes." Tristoff said. For a second, his clear gray-blue eyes became an angry yellow-scarlet. "No matter what you draw, you've lost. My beast is to strong." Tristoff laughed, although his laugh was bitter.  
"

Well, only one way to find out," Katanokuto said, "Draw!" 

He looked at the card he got, and grinned. No need to bluff, it was all over.

"Magic card- The A. Forces," he declared, "This will increase the attack of all my warriors by 200 for each warrior and spellcaster on my side of the field." 

"Which means his Soldier's attack will be at 3200," Thought Shinji, "Powerful, but not enough."

"Now, I'll switch my set Black Luster Soldier to attack mode," Said Katanokuto, as from the set card emerged the swordsman, its blade gleaming in the light, "Along with my other set monster, Swordsman of Landstar!" 

The second monster emerged, trembling at the sight of the huge Homunculus. The Black Luster Soldier, however, stood between the two, its power increased even more.

"With one warrior, my cards gain 200 attack points," Katanokuto said, "But with two, they each gain 400. Black Luster Soldier, attack!" 

With that order, the ritual warrior (3400 ATK) lunged, leaping into the air at the golden behemoth. It struck down with all its might, plunging the blade into Tristoff's monster. A huge explosion echoed, and the Homunculus was destroyed, dropping Tristoff's LP to 100.

"Now, Swordsman of Landstar," Katanokuto declared, "Finish him!"

Landstar (ATK: 900) lunged, pulling back its comically large sword for a finishing blow. Tristoff let out a roar of anger as his Monster was destroyed in an explosion. He shielded his eyes, as the tiny monster sunk its blade into him.

Tristoff's life points hit zero.

Most of the Obelisk Blues were in shock. The rest, including all of Ra Yellow, plus Shinji, were applauding.

"Amazing!" Declared Sameshima, standing to his feet, "You're both amazing! That was a most excellent duel!" 

As everyone applauded, Shinji leapt on stage and high-fived his best friend.

"That's some devil's luck you got there," he declared, "Have you been holding back against me or something?"

"Just got lucky this time," Katanokuto laughed, as the holograms vanished, "Luckiest I've ever been in front of so many people."

Katanokuto walked over to where Tristoff stood, and extended his hand.

"That was a great duel," he said, "If I had drawn any other card, I would have lost for sure. You're strong- a lot stronger than I am. It was just that one-in-a-million chance that made things go differently. Good duel."

For a brief second, Tristoff's facial features looked inhuman. Pale faced, mouth deep in rage, eyes a Scarlet tint. But that second finished, replaced by those handsome features. He took Katanokuto's hand and shook it.

"Luck is a part of skill, it's true," thought Sameshima, as he walked away from the arena,

"But the will to enjoy the game is just as important as the will to win. Tristoff-kun was dueling to show off to us, to prove he's worthy of the position as an alchemy teacher. Katanokuto-kun was dueling for fun, in order to test his strength and enjoy the game. It was that difference that made the difference in luck. That is why Tristoff-kun lost."

"By the way," Katanokuto said to Shinji, as they got off the duel stage, "What happened last night?"

"Oh yeah," Shinji sighed, "Let's go for a walk. I'll tell you about it."

Author's Note: Sorry for not updating in awhile. I've just been busy. But I'm back on track.


	8. Nothing's Fair in Love

**Chapter 8: Nothing's Fair in Love**

Katanokuto and Shinji walked around the island, as Shinji reflected on his meeting with Yuna the previous night.

"It started out well," He said, "Yuna-chan came, and we sat by the waterfall, talking. The atmosphere seemed perfect, so serene, with just the two of us. I felt like, no, I was sure, that something was going to happen. I reached over and touched her hand, but she pulled it away. I apologized, and we continued to talk. There were so many times I could have done something romantic, but the way she acted showed that she didn't want that. The night went by and nothing happened."

"So you didn't get lucky, but you didn't get dumped," Katanokuto said, "So what's the problem?"

"The problem is me," Shinji sighed, "I don't know how I feel. I mean, I enjoy her company, and I want to get to know her. But she... just seems to be on a different level than me. How she is, who she is, she's too good for me."

"What are you talking about!?" Katanokuto laughed, "You're an elite! One of the higher-ranked students in Obelisk Blue! You're one of the best!"

"No, I'm just me," Shinji replied, "Sure, I can duel, but that's about all I can do. What have I contributed to the world? What have I done for anyone but myself?"

"Wow, what DID this girl tell you?" The blond duelist exclaimed.

"Yuna-chan said nothing," Replied the depressed elite, "I'm the one who came to this conclusion. That's why I've never been lucky, it's because I've only been thinking about myself. I need to do something to prove my worth, not to her but to myself."

"I've never seen Shinji like this before," Katanokuto thought, "I've seen him heartbroken before, but not like this."

The day went on, and Shinji went to his classes. He had Chronos's class at the beginning of the day, but he wasn't paying much attention. Instead, he leaned back in his seat, letting the lecture pass him by. Occasionally his eyes would glance over to where Yuna Asakura sat, but she was absorbed in her notes, not noticing him.

Shinji looked down at his deck, slowly flipping past the cards. Look down at the cards, look up at Yuna, down at the cards, up at Yuna, etc. He paused as he got to the Sinister Serpent card, feeling something from it. It may have just been a trick of the light, but he could have sworn he saw it move. Suddenly, his pocket duelist PDA went off, as he received a notice to head up to the office.

"Wonder what this is about?" he thought, as he excused himself from the class, "Did anyone notice me leaving the dorms last night?"

Shinji made his way to the principle's office, walking the long path that most students called to the office take. He knocked on the door and entered, to see Principal Sameshima looking through some files. The picture in the corner of one of the files was that of Katanokuto, another had that of Tristoff.

"Shinji-kun, glad you could make it," Sameshima said, "Please have a seat."

Shinji sat down, wondering what Sameshima called him for, and what it had to do with Katanokuto.

"That was an excellent duel last night, was it not?" Sameshima said, "Your friend Katanokuto-kun versus Tristoff-kun. Truly spectacular."

"It certainly was," Shinji agreed, "I've dueled Tristoff a few times last year, sometimes winning, sometimes losing. But that's the best I've ever seen Katanokuto do."

"And how do you think his strength is in comparison to yours?" Sameshima inquired.

"Katanokuto's?" replied Shinji, "He's strong, but he still hasn't been able to beat me. I dueled against him on the boat ride here, and although it was closer than usual, I still won."

"I see," Nodded the principal, "And how was your meeting with Yuna-kun last night?"

There was a brief silence, as Sameshima sat in his seat, smiling the same way he always did. Finally, Shinji spoke.

"I'm not in trouble, am I?" Shinji asked, "All I did was talk with Yuna-chan, it's not like-"

"Don't worry, you're not in trouble at all," laughed Sameshima, "You're young, it's understandable. What I called you here for is-"

Sameshima was interrupted by the beeping from his computer. He turned and looked at the screen, reading the message. Slowly, he turned back to Shinji, looking very solemn.

"We can discuss this later," he said, "Right now, there is something very important that must be brought up immediately. Would you please send for your friend Katanokuto-kun? And while you're at it, get any strong duelists you can find."

"Right away," Shinji nodded, slightly confused. He ran out the door, but immediately ran into the very silent duelist from earlier. He had attached a hood to his Obelisk Blue uniform, so his face was still blocked.

"Sorry," Shinji apologized, "In a hurry, need strong duelists, no time."

With that, he ran off the hall. The silent duelist turned without a sound and entered Sameshima's office. They were in need of strength, were they? He was actually just searching for a vending machine, but he found something so much better.

"I understand you need strong duelists," the boy said, his voice just barely reaching Sameshima's ears, "My name is Bendelu Fuli, and I may be of assistance."

The duelist known as Akai Grant walked through the hallway to the principle's office. He overheard the conversation about the printable wanting strong duelists so he thought "what the hell," and went with it. He entered the office and smiled devilishly at the principal.

"Hello," he greeted, "I'm Akai Grant and I'm a strong duelist. So what is it you wanted?"

On the sides of his Ra Yellow uniform, he had what looked like a gun holster. It was part of his outfit, but there was something off about it.

"Let's see, strong duelists," Shinji thought, as he looked around, "Katanokuto is strong, so is Tristoff-san and Chika-san. I wonder how good Yuna-chan is?"

The door to Sameshima's office opened, and two medics came in, carrying with them the body of Maiku, the Ra Yellow who Katanokuto dueled earlier. He was unconscious, although there were no injuries. No, he was nearly comatose.

"It's as we feared, sir," one of the medics said, "They're here."

"Take him down to the medical wing," Sameshima commanded, taking a tone of authority, "I've already began making arrangements."

Akai and Bendelu watched as Nick was wheeled away. He seemed to be breathing peacefully, but he was completely out of it.

"What kind of dangerous place is this island?" Akai questioned.

"It's not our island that's dangerous," Sameshima said, "It's certain people that come here, for one reason or another. Certain people who are often foolish enough to be caught by security."

The door burst open, and security guards came out, surrounding Akai Grant.

"As if we wouldn't have a metal detector installed," said one of the security, "Hand over your weapon and put your hands up, please."

Akai laughed and a hellish duel disk appeared onto his arm along with a deck. Black fog seeped into the room, blinding all the guards. Akai pulled the gun out and shot at the principal, managing to land a bullet in his shoulder, before using the duel disk to bust out the window. He landed on his feet and ran into the woods.

Sameshima gripped his shoulder and screamed as the bullet passed through. Fortunately, it was a light wound, but it still hurt like nothing else.

"Principal!" called out one of the guards, blinded by the smoke, but still hearing his screams. The smoke moved out the window, clearing from the room, and the security immediately began to help with the wound.

"Get the medics, ASAP!" called out one, as he tore off a section of his jacket to cover Sameshima's bullet wound. Another picked up the phone and immediately called for help, while Bendelu just looked out the window, watching Akai flee.

"This can't be good," he thought, "The year has just begun, and I've already witnessed an assassination attempt on our principal."

Akai Grant fled into the woods, laughing to himself. He suddenly stopped, as a figure dressed in all black landed in front of him, blocking his path.

"Out of my way," Akai demanded, pointing the gun at the figure. In response, the masked man held out his arm, containing an active duel disk.

"I see," grinned the murderous duelist, "A duel, huh? Fine, but if you lose, I shoot you."

Meanwhile, the medics had stitched and bandaged Sameshima's wound, as he was transported to the medical wing. The security told Bendelu and the other duelists to wait in the office, and that Chronos would have authority while Sameshima's wound was being treated. They were also warned to keep an eye out for anyone else, but that they would also be under close watch.

At the same time, Shinji had made his way into the dueling arena, where two people were in a duel at that very moment. Both were girls of Obelisk Blue, and one of them happened to be Yuna Asakura. Katanokuto was also there, waiting in line with a Blue student who Shinji introduced to him the previous year.

"Two duelists I was looking for," Shinji said in relief, "That's good."

There came a flurry of bullets and shrapnel, as another monster fell. Akai's life points dropped to 700, as he faced down a well-dressed monster in black, carrying a beautiful rapier.

"Who are you?" Akai Grant asked, looking at his opponent.

"No one of consequence," replied the masked duelist.

"I must know."

"Get used to disappointment."

There came a quiet ticking sound, as the ground beneath Akai's feet opened up. He fell into the sand, getting sucked in by the trap card that was activated. The holograms faded, leaving Akai lying on the ground, with zero life points. His opponent picked up the gun from the unconscious assassin's side, and examined it.

"A Millennium Item," he muttered, "I didn't know they made weapons with that same black magic. Still, this is the way the shadow games work. You lose, you lose your soul."

There was a clicking sound, as the gun was cocked for a shot. Then came the sound of thunder. A little while later, a package containing an ornate golden gun appeared in the infirmary, along with a letter addressed to Sameshima.


	9. The Assassin and the Spirit

**Chapter 9: The Assassin and the Spirit**

It didn't take long for Shinji to find a few good duelists. Himself, Katanokuto, and Yuna, of course, along with Tristoff (somehow he managed to flatter his way into getting that guy as a companion) and Chika (who seemed very antisocial, but at least pleased at the offer). When they arrived at the office, they met up with Bendelu, the hooded Blue student, who told them that the principal was in the infirmary, and they were to meet him there.

"Glad to see you could make it," Sameshima said, propping himself up from the bed with his good arm as the six entered, "As you may have guessed from my present state, I was just victim of an assassination attempt. Fortunately for me, it failed, but not without its price."

Before anyone could say anything, he continued talking.

"The assassin was disguised as a Ra Yellow student by the name of Akai Grant. However, he's not the only one. I recently received word that Akai Grant had been defeated, so his allies will be coming soon. Their names are mysteries, as are how they look and where they are. However, we do know that their goal is to throw the Academy into chaos. I would like to explain why, but that information is on a need-to-know basis. Now then, as I was saying, we do know their methods. Each one as a Millennium Item, an item of darkness, designed to create a game of darkness in the form of a duel. Should you duel them and lose, you will suffer a penalty game, leaving you in the same unfortunate condition as Maiku-kun."

Sameshima indicated the hospital bed beside him, where the unconscious Maikulay. Although his bodily functions were fine, his mind seemed to be elsewhere, as his soul was sealed.

"Should you win, however," Sameshima said, "The Academia will be saved once all are defeated. I'm sorry for forcing this upon you children, but that is the reason I needed strong duelists here today. Are there any questions?"

"I've got one," Bendelu said, "If the assassinations are through duels, then why were you shot at?" 

"We can only assume that, when faced with the threat of arrest, Akai shot out of impulse," Sameshima replied, "Or used it as a diversion to escape. I'm sure that if he tried, he could have shot me in the head instead of the shoulder."

"One more," Bendelu added, "Why cards? Isn't there a better way to go about this other than a game?"

"Mankind has bet on games throughout history," Sameshima replied, "Sports are games, and look at the fame they bring. Even war itself is a game, just a game where lives are at stake every day. This game is no different. Winning brings glory, defeat brings doom. Anything else?"

There were no more questions, so Sameshima dismissed them. But as they left, he called out for Tristoff to wait behind.

"Yes, Headmaster?" the third year asked, masking all emotion.

"Don't follow in the path of power," Sameshima said to Tristoff, "If you spend too much time obsessing over your own ambitions, you will end up with a fate none desire. That is all."

"I appreciate your concern Headmaster, but all I simply wish is to learn. That is what this academy is for. Good day." Tristoff bowed, leaving the infirmary.

Despite Sameshima's warnings, there were no signs of assassins for a month. Then for another, until the first quarter of the year had passed. Akai Grant was actually just sent out to send a warning, and to give the duelists time to grow strong. The assassins hadn't planned on striking until a good while later into the year. As the months passed, everyone grew stronger, and Shinji grew closer to Yuna. Of course, it was never close enough.

But one night, by midnight, a new figure appeared on the island. Although it was the middle of the night, there were those that chose not to sleep. A shadowed figure moved through the darkness, scouting around the island.

"So, this is where Akai Grant fell," he thought, "Well, that man was a fool, it makes sense he'd lose quickly. I won't fall in such a manner."

As he thought that, his hands moved to a large golden dagger held at his waist. The gold blade shone in the dim moonlight, reflecting his bloodshot eyes. 

The sun rose the next morning, and Shinji rolled out of his bed, the morning sun glaring in his eyes.

"Great, what time is it?" he muttered, glancing over to the clock he kept by his bed. The clock indicated 7:00, which was the time he was supposed to wake up, anyways. Slowly, Shinji pulled himself to his feet, and changed from his pajamas into his clothes, then pulled the Obelisk Blue jacket over it.

"Stayed up late watching the duel videos," he thought, "Still can't believe some of the decks people used to use. Well, never mind. I agreed to have breakfast with Katanokuto and Yuna-chan by the lighthouse this morning, so I might as well get going."

A few minutes later, he arrived at the lighthouse, carrying a breakfast tray with him. Although most students were expected to eat in the dorm mess hall, elites had permission to eat wherever. As for Katanokuto, as he put it, "The guy with a shinai eats wherever he wants." 

Katanokuto was already there, leaning against the lighthouse so that it was only his shoulders and head; the rest of his body was lying on the ground.

"Tired?" Shinji asked, as he sat down in front of his Ra Yellow friend.

"Somewhat," Katanokuto yawned, picking up a piece of bread from his tray, "That's what I get for spending all night working on my deck."

"By the way, where's Yuna-chan?" Shinji asked, looking around, "I don't see her."

"Guess she's not here, yet," shrugged Katanokuto, "Well, not like that's going to stop me from eating."

Yuna woke up early that morning, and took a short walk around the forest of the island before she was to meet up with Shinji and Katanokuto. As she walked, the waterfall came into view, where a young man sat, with no jacket for any dorm.

"Excuse me," she called out, but before she could say anything else, the young man seemed to vanish. 

"Sorry, now's not the time," came a calm voice from right behind her. Yuna turned to see the same boy behind her, as if he moved that far is less than a second.

"Come back at sunset," the boy smirked, "I can send you to hell then. Now's just not as good... Twilight is the best moment."

He vanished again, leaving Yuna alone.

"Who was that?" she wondered. Suddenly, the truth dawned on her, as she remembered the principal's words many nights ago. Yuna ran to join Shinji and Katanokuto by the lighthouse, having finally realized who the boy she met was.

"I saw one of the assassins," she said, out of breath from having run to the lighthouse, "He said he would 'send me to hell at sunset.'"

"That can only mean he'll start dueling at twilight," Shinji exclaimed worriedly, "Yuna-chan, he challenged you. You'll need to be able to beat this guy, although we don't know his strength." 

"Should we get the others to help?" suggested Katanokuto, "We're all supposed to be allies against the these assassins."

"Good idea," Shinji nodded, "Katanokuto, search the island and try to find all our companions. Yuna-chan, I need you to go to Sameshima and tell him what happened, then explain that we'll be taking the day off of school for training. I'll head back to my room and get all my spare decks for the training."

"Right!" The other two nodded, before running off from the lighthouse. Shinji grabbed a piece of toast (having not finished his breakfast) and ran to his dorm room.

Shinji made his way to his dorm, jumping the steps as he went up the stairs. Quickly, he pulled open the door and entered his room, looking around for where he left his decks. There, in a pile on the floor, were six deck boxes, all of them empty.

"What in the hell!?" Shinji exclaimed, looking at all the empty boxes, "What happened to all my decks! All I've got is-"

His hand shot down to his belt, where, safely in a deck box, was his main deck, with the special summoning theme, rested.

"At least that one's still here," he sighed in relief, "If this was to be stolen, I'd be left with no decks. And it's my best, so I still have that. But still! Who would steal my decks!?"

He stood up in rage, clenching his fists. From his deck box there emitted a small glow, as a green, serpentine figure arose from it.

"It just keeps getting weirder!" Shinji exclaimed, stepping back from the green image that arose in front of him, "Am I losing it!?"

A pair of dark red eyes glared at him from the mass of green scales, and it split a pair of scaly wings. Finally, it took shape, forming that of a green serpent with small wings from around its back.

"No way..." Shinji muttered in disbelief, "Sinister Serpent?"

Author's Note: I apologize for the shortness of this chapter.


End file.
